Sept 12 to Sept 15, 2024
Each day we balance time on the trails with an introduction to the culinary delights of Vermont, a state known for its small family farms and abundance of local, organic food
The Vermont Trail Running + Culinary Retreat is ideal for runners who appreciate good food and want to experience Vermont’s food-maker culture, from cooking classes to farm tours. While staying at The Essex Culinary and Spa Resort, conveniently situated between downtown Burlington and Stowe Village, you’ll enjoy daily guided mindful runs along with special dining and culinary experiences that are sure to delight your senses.
Enjoy the support and guidance of our retreat leader, an expert in mindful running, locally based running guides who know this region inside and out, and take cooking classes with the Essex Resort’s top chefs, who will inspire you to create new dishes using local flavors and while showcasing regional approaches to food preparation.
You don’t have to worry about being the slowest one at this retreat! This four-day women-only retreat is ideal for those who are either new to running, returning to running after an injury or layoff, or who prefer to run short distances. All the runs at this retreat (which are between three and six miles) employ a run-walk approach, so no matter your pace you’ll be able to go at a pace that’s comfortable for you. With the support of our professional running guides, you can relax and enjoy the running without having to navigate or worry about logistics.
You will also have free time to explore Burlington, take in an optional massage at the spa, or enjoy the diverse wellness and recreational amenities.
Daily runs/walks range from 3 miles to 6 miles on singletrack and doubletrack trails.
Your retreat package includes a special visit to Jericho Settlers Farm, a 200-acre farm producing 30 acres of certified organic vegetables, flowers and herbs. Jericho Settlers' Farm was founded in 2002, though it is comprised of two of the earliest settled farmsteads in Jericho, Vermont: the Chapin Homestead settled in 1783 and the Brown Family Homestead dating back to 1800. The current owners continue the tradition of raising healthy food on a diversified family farm, specializing in year-round vegetable production, comprised primarily of salad greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and root vegetables. Enjoy a fresh, hearty veggie-packed lunch on site.
Our highly trained retreat leaders provide the space and support for you to have a potentially transformational experience. As experts in mindful leadership, she provides valuable guidance on how to be mindful on and off the trail. Here's more about what you can expect from your retreat leader:
The host specializes in trail running- and wellness-based travel experiences that support women’s overall health and well-being. Our programs feature mindful running techniques that help women run better while maximizing running’s stress-reducing effects on the body and mind. Set in some of the world’s most inspiring natural destinations known to runners, each itinerary is an immersion in nature and wellness experiences such as yoga, hot springs, or spa.
We include the specific elements you need to have a wonderful retreat and leave out anything that doesn’t support that mission.
We are about experiencing running as a means to cultivate mental and physical health and well-being. While our purpose is to provide transformational travel experiences for runners like you, our mission is to offer you the time and space to clear your mind and focus on breathing deeply, connect with nature, dial down stress, and release endorphins so that you can relish in the joy and inspiration running brings.
No one succeeds in isolation, which is why the empowering community and connections that women find through our retreats are such a gift. Time after time, we hear the most heartwarming stories of the friendships that were made on our retreats, and why so many women come back year after year (sometimes even multiple times a year!) to run with us in a new location and often with women they’d met before.
When you travel with us, you are choosing to:
🏃♀️ connect deeper with yourself because no matter how long you’ve been on this planet, there’s always more to discover about who you truly are. We offer things like travel journals for writing and sharing circles during the retreat that support your inner as well as outer journey.
🏃♀️ experiment with mindful running principles that make you a better, more playful runner because there’s nothing like taking yourself too seriously to stifle motivation. Our retreat leaders provide mindful running exercises and tips you can use on an off the trail to run and live more mindfully.
🏃♀️ be open to connecting with other like-minded women because meeting new people is less scary than you might think. You’ll meet women who value running as part of a health lifestyle as we all as a sport. It’s amazing how quickly retreat groups bond after the very first run together!
🏃♀️ receive support, even when you don’t necessarily think you need it, but are so grateful you did when you realize how great it feels. In addition to the company of our professional running guides and expert retreat leaders, we highly encourage peer support to give you what to need to feel comfortable in this group.
🏃♀️ experience the mental health benefits to running that having nothing to do with your last race result or next goal. Our retreat leaders help you replace expectations and performance pressure with intentions and a focus on simply having fun.
🏃♀️ be intentional with the words you choose to express yourself, promising to be authentic and forget about trying to be anything you’re not. Intentions are rooted in values, and there’s no better opportunity to reflect on your values than when you’re traveling.
🏃♀️ make peace with the runner you are today, knowing that you belong here because runners come in all shapes and sizes and that’s okay. Since this isn’t a training camp, we’re not focused on where the future, but rather, rooted in the present moment, since that’s where the magic happens.
🏃♀️ give up the need to control everything going on around you because that’s the only way to find peace, restore your energy and find true joy. Our expert travel planners have worked out the logistics, and our professional guides scouted the routes, which means you can relax and let go.
🏃♀️ trust us to take you on a journey that has the potential to be deeply transformational and profoundly meaningful in a way that is entirely unique to you. Our retreat leaders understand that getting vulnerable can be scary, so they’re prepared to hold the space you need to have your experience at your own pace.
🏃♀️ forget about comparing yourself to others, either in terms of pace, speed, accomplishments, age or any other way, and focus instead on what you share in common. This is what we mean by community; you don’t have to “qualify” to be here, you show that you belong here by simply being you.
. . . and so much more.
Since our retreats take place on trails of varying types, we can characterize the runs by a specific pace-per-mile.
In general, we approach all the retreat runs with a very relaxed, social pace. We stop frequently to eat and drink and take photos (there are always lots of photo ops on our runs!). And depending on the terrain, there is times where we hike rather than run. Within every group there’s always a wide range in running pace, which is why we always have two or three guides with us.
One is at the front the group, one at the back and one floating around between the various pace groups. This way, everyone gets to go at their own pace and not feel rushed.
YES you can come alone, and NO, it won’t cost you more!
The majority of our retreat participants come on their own. And while many travel companies require single travelers to pay a supplemental fee when there’s an odd number of travelers in a group, we do not. We absorb this cost so you don’t have to pay more simply because you’re traveling solo.
You may book a Shared Room retreat package, in which case we’ll match you with a roommate. All shared rooms have separate beds, one for each person (of course!).
On many trips, we offer Private Single Room options as well. While it does cost more to have a private room, you may select this option to be sure you have a room to yourself.
We keep the group size as small as possible, usually between 8 to 16 women, depending on the destination. Please check individual retreat-specific information pages for the maximum group size.
The itinerary varies, but generally includes ground transportation during the retreat, some airport transfers, professional trail running guides, run coaching, accommodations, most meals, activities, wellness workshops, custom souvenirs and support from your retreat leader. Excluded from the package are airfare, alcoholic drinks, purchases of a personal nature, guide gratuities, additional activities before or after the retreat.
This retreat is a special opportunity to be present in a way that is hard to find in your regular routine. That’s why it’s call a retreat! By participating in this retreat, you are embarking on a journey of inner exploration as much as one of external exploration. You are embarking on a journey to a beautiful new destination, one that offers scenery and cultural experiences you can savor and enjoy. The inner exploration has to do with creating space to observe the feelings that arise throughout the retreat, noticing them and savoring them. With that in mind, we have introduced a Presence Policy that is designed to enhance your retreat experience so that you get the most from it. This policy asks that you:
Our goal is to make our retreats accessible to runners of various ability and fitness levels. Having said that, some retreats are better suited to runners with more endurance and trail running experience than others.
Running camps generally focus on workouts and coaching for building fitness and improving run performance. Our focus is on building the foundation of health you need before you can safely and sustainably build fitness. That’s why our retreats are truly a retreat from your everyday routine and offer you a mental and physical break. That space allows you to slow down, tune in and rediscover what your body and heart are craving right now. Our retreats are enriching immersions that blend running, travel, adventure, education and community.